


Unfamiliar Stars

by IcyPanther



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Humor, Gen, Homesick Lance (Voltron), Homesickness, Hurt/Comfort, Keith (Voltron) Angst, Lance (Voltron) Angst, Platonic Relationships, Protective Keith (Voltron), Stargazing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-26
Updated: 2020-06-26
Packaged: 2021-03-04 04:27:05
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,272
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24927667
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IcyPanther/pseuds/IcyPanther
Summary: Going to the beach had been a mistake. Homesickness had spurred Lance to it but now it’s crashing down as surely as the waves and threatening to drown him. And if that gnawing, painful ache wasn’t bad enough, now Keith has caught him crying. But to Lance’s surprise, maybe… maybe this wasn’t such a mistake after all.
Relationships: Keith & Lance (Voltron), Lance & Lance's Family (Voltron)
Comments: 60
Kudos: 286





	Unfamiliar Stars

**Author's Note:**

> **Timeline notes:** mid-season one  
>  **Warning notes:** none

Lance was beginning to think coming to the beach had been a mistake.

It’s not that the gentle roll of the waves weren’t soothing or the stars and the moon reflecting off the almost teal colored water wasn’t beautiful to look at. It wasn’t even that the sand was too coarse or the water too cold — a pleasant coolness as it washed over his bare feet at the shoreline — and the temperature was warm and comfortable. 

It was just…

Just…

It was too familiar.

And it wasn’t familiar at all.

This wasn’t the beach he’d grown up alongside his family in Cuba, wasn’t the desert in Arizona he had then called home. These weren’t the stars and constellations he’d seen from the fishing boat they’d go out on nor were they the ones spent looking at underneath the cloudless desert sky.

But they were close enough. Closer than anything he’d seen since coming into space almost two months ago and leaving his family behind without even a good bye.

It had been what he blamed the dream that was so real he’d thought… he’d thought that he was _home,_ with Marco ruffling his hair and Luis putting him a headlock and Veronica quietly proud as she cupped his cheek and Rachel holding tight to his hands and Mamá smothering him in kisses and Papá’s arms tight around him and, and…

And it wasn’t real.

He was here, in space.

And they were on Earth. 

They probably thought he was dead. 

He must have caused them so much _pain_ and if he could just talk to them, just tell them he was here, alive, and how much he missed them and _Dios,_ he missed them so much it _hurt_ and he wanted to go _home._

But he couldn’t.

Not until the universe was safe and… and he had no idea how long that would be. He’d been so proud, so excited, to be a Paladin of Voltron, to be chosen by the Blue Lion.

But right now?

Right now he didn’t want that honor, that responsibility.

He just wanted his family.

He just wanted to go home.

The stars above him blurred as hot tears stung his eyes and Lance curled over his knees, pressing his face into them to hide the tears and muffle the sob threatening to drown him.

At least…

At least no one could see him here.

He was on a private beach, the king’s own as they were staying as his guests at the palace while they negotiated an alliance with Voltron, and given the hour no one else would be up anyway. He’d thought if he just got outside, took a walk and got some fresh air to clear his head, he’d feel better.

He felt worse.

The beach, the stars, the gentle roll of the ocean…

It was like home.

But he wasn’t home. 

He couldn’t go home. 

Another sob shook his shoulders and his fingers tightened where they were gripping his pajama bottoms. 

He’d been trying so _hard_ not to make a big deal out of it; no one else was. And he had no right, really. Allura and Coran had lost their entire planet, all of their people. Next to their loss, the reality that they could _never_ return home…

He sounded so selfish.

And no one else really talked about home either. Hunk, occasionally, and he would always listen when Lance told a story. Pidge had mentioned her mom and her dog on a couple of occasions but her focus was on finding her dad and brother. Shiro and Keith never said anything and Lance realized he didn’t actually know, considering he considered them his hero and his rival, really anything about either of them. And what if… what if they didn’t have a family like that? What if there was no one waiting for them?

He felt even worse talking about his own. 

But _Dios,_ he missed them so much. He missed the stories and the laughs and the family all squeezed into the too small kitchen for dinner and fighting for a spot on the old faded floral sofa and—

Lance muffled another sob against his knees.

He wanted to go home.

He wanted to go home he wanted to go home he wanted—

“Lance?”

Lance choked on his next breath, head snapping up.

Even through tear-blurred eyes there was no mistaking the mullet. 

He hadn’t even heard him, footsteps silent on the sand and the waves and Lance’s own sobs doing the rest.

Lance hastily brought a hand up to his eyes but even in the dim lighting he knew it was too late.

Keith had…

“Are you… crying?” 

Lance felt his cheeks heat.

Of course. Of course if anyone had to find him sobbing on the beach it would be Keith freaking Kogane. 

What he must be thinking right now... Lance had shown time and again how much of a failure he was, of a screw-up, how he would _never_ come close to measuring up to Keith and now this…

It was no wonder Keith didn’t take him seriously. 

Why no one did.

“No,” Lance turned away, rubbing still at his eyes as though that could erase the tears, take away the ache still in his chest. “It’s… it’s ocean spray.”

“You’re crying,” Keith decided on and even without seeing him Lance could picture the crossed arms, the frowning expression of confusion touched by anger, as to why Lance was denying the obvious.

Maybe because he was embarrassed? 

Maybe because he was all twisted up and he just wanted to be alone so he could cry in peace?

Maybe he just wanted to go _home?_

“Lance—”

“Congratulations, Keith, yes, I’m crying,” Lance snapped, whirling around as apparently Keith was not getting the whole concept of leaving him alone. “Happy now?”

Keith’s frown deepened. “Why would that make me happy?”

The building anger whooshed out at not just the fact Keith hadn’t risen to his ire but that around the confusion… Keith sounded almost…

Hurt.

Guilt coiled in Lance’s stomach. 

He hadn’t meant to hurt Keith, not really. 

Although he supposed…

He had.

He just… 

He wanted to be alone.

Although that was a lie too. 

He wanted his family. But if he couldn’t have them then he wanted to be alone, to cry where no one could see him and close his eyes and try to pretend he was home with them.

But his family…

They would be so disappointed in how he was acting. Keith might not be a friend, not really, but he was a teammate and he had come out here and made the effort to approach Lance so…

So he should...

He let out a heavy sigh and turned back to the ocean, resting his head atop folded arms on his knees because he couldn’t meet Keith’s eyes right now, shame and guilt eating him in equal measure. “What do you want, Keith?” Lance asked quietly. 

Keith didn’t answer.

Lance rolled his head the other direction, half-expecting Keith to be gone, trudging back up the beach.

But he was still there.

And as his eyes caught Lance’s there was nothing cruel or mocking or angry in them.

He looked…

Concerned.

It was not a look Lance was familiar with coming from Keith, especially directed at him.

The guilt swirled more.

“Are you okay?” 

And now he felt even worse.

Coming to the beach had been a giant mistake.

“I’m fine.”

He wasn’t fine. Not at all.

But this wasn’t Keith’s problem to deal with and Lance couldn’t begin to try to explain it to him if he’d wanted to. 

Keith didn’t say anything.

He also didn’t leave.

Instead he sat down a few feet away and began to take off his boots and socks — he wasn’t even in pajamas, Lance realized, had he even gone to sleep? — and roll up his pants to mimic Lance’s to put his feet into the surf. 

He still said nothing.

Lance didn’t break the silence, turning back to the ocean and gazing out across its expanse at the night sky filled with foreign stars and shuddered out a breath.

And then another.

He breathed in time with the rolling waves, the cadence soothing. He focused on that, on how even though it was different the beach and the stars were still nice to be a part of. 

But as the minutes ticked by the calm disappeared too because the guilt was growing heavier even though Keith still had yet to do anything.

He should say something.

It would be too awkward to ignore him or ignore this and unlike the cradling in arms bonding moment Keith claimed they’d had that Lance legit could not remember (he had a head wound, thank you very much) there would be no pretending whatever this was had never happened.

Lance sucked in a breath and turned.

“Keith—”

“So—”

Both of them cut off.

“Um,” Lance said into the quiet. “I just…” he swallowed. “I’m sorry for… for snapping at you. I—”

“You don’t need to apologize,” Keith interrupted. “You were upset.” 

His eyes met Lance’s with a somewhat unnerving intensity. “You _are_ upset.” 

Lance found he had to look away first. 

“I’m… I’m not upset,” he said slowly. “Not really. Just…” He looked up once more to the stars. “Homesick,” he admitted, whisper barely audible.

He hadn’t said it aloud since he’d told Coran that night on the bridge, but then Sendak had attacked and suddenly the war Allura had told them about was real and people were hurt and Lance had a duty and the universe couldn’t afford for him to go home and leave it all behind. 

He’d tried to bury it, tried to pretend everything was fine and laughed and joked and made stupid challenges and trained and did everything he could not to think about how much he missed them.

Until tonight where the dreams had been too real and the ocean too full of memories and he hadn’t been able to ignore it any longer.

He just hadn’t expected to have an audience. 

“I know what that’s like.”

Keith’s words were so soft Lance almost missed them and he swung his head back around.

What?

Keith that time turned away even as he continued to speak.

“Not now. There’s… there’s nothing and no one on Earth that…” he visibly swallowed and Lance’s heart clenched.

He’d thought so but hearing Keith confirm it, that he had no one waiting for him…

 _Dios,_ that was… that was so _sad._

“But before. When… after… after my pop,” Keith swallowed again, and Lance had never seen him like this, so…

So _raw._

“After my pop died and I…” he gave a slight shake of his head and he trailed off.

“I’m sorry,” Lance said quietly.

Keith hadn’t mentioned his mom but it didn’t take a genius to figure out that without his dad then… then Keith would have ended up…

“It was a long time ago,” Keith gave a shrug. “But…” He looked up and if his eyes were a tiny bit bright Lance didn’t say anything, “thank you.”

Lance inclined his head.

The silence then didn’t feel so heavy.

To Lance’s surprise Keith broke it.

“You… you have a large family, don’t you?”

Lance nodded. “Yeah. Um, there’s me, obviously,” and he tried for a smile but he could feel it fall flat. He hurried on. “There’s my mamá and papá and I have four older siblings. Luis is the oldest and then Veronica — she’s a first officer at the Garrison — and then Marco and then Rachel,” his words came faster and faster. “And Luis is married to Lisa and they have two kids — Sylvio and Nadia, she’s so cute and just turned two — and then my abuela and abuelo live down the street and—”

Lance broke off, realizing he was rambling, feeling his cheeks heat again. 

“You really miss them,” Keith said softly. 

It was an obvious observance that had it been any other situation would have at least deserved a raised eyebrow and a “seriously?” but this time it made Lance’s throat grow tight and he gave a jerky nod. 

He missed them so much. 

“Have… have you ever thought about…?”

“Leaving?” Lance filled in.

He had thought about it.

He also knew he couldn’t. 

“I’m needed here. That’s… that’s the best way to keep them safe.”

The gentle crashing of the surf was the only sound that filled the air.

And then…

“I think…” Keith said quietly. “I think they’d be really proud of you.”

Lance’s eyes stung again. 

He quickly blinked, not willing to cry in front of Keith again.

He needed to focus on something else.

“So, um,” his voice was still too high. “How, how did you find me?”

He’d crept out of the room he was sharing with Keith and Hunk he’d thought pretty quietly, but...

“I heard you leave,” Keith said and Lance winced. “I’m… I’m a light sleeper,” he offered and Lance took the surprising olive branch. “I thought you were just using the bathroom or something but then you didn’t come back. And… and you hadn’t…”

Keith reached down to his side, and held up Lance’s bayard.

Lance blinked. 

“You didn’t bring it with you,” Keith said as though that wasn’t obvious.

“Why would I?” he asked, genuinely confused.

They were in the king’s own palace with guards stationed at every door — who had no doubt pointed Keith in Lance’s direction as he’d had to bypass a few to get out to the beach.

Keith flushed. “It… it might not be safe,” he mumbled. 

Lance’s eyes widened as he realized how much was behind those few words. 

Even here, in an ally’s home and with the rest of Voltron nearby, Keith didn’t feel safe unless he was armed. 

And he’d come after Lance to make sure he was safe.

It was very…

Very sweet. 

“Thanks, Keith,” Lance said softly, meeting dark purple eyes, trying to convey all of that and he had a feeling he had as Keith’s cheeks darkened even further.

Keith shoved the bayard at his face. “Don’t forget it again.”

Lance was surprised to feel a chuckle making its way out of his mouth, even as he assured, “I won’t,” and took the bayard, setting it in the sand at his side.

He was even more surprised to realize he didn’t feel as upset now. Keith might not have come out with the intent to comfort him but…

But he had. In his own, mullet-y way.

And maybe...

“I’m going to stay out here a little longer,” Lance said, tipping his head back to take in the entire sky even as he watched Keith in his peripheral. 

He saw Keith’s hands curl in the sand before he gave a short nod. “Okay. I’ll go—”

“You can stay, if you want,” Lance continued. 

Keith untensed.

Lance smiled up at the stars. 

He’d thought so.

“...what are you doing?” Keith asked after a few moments.

“Stargazing.” 

Keith turned his face upwards too.

A few more moments passed.

“...why?” 

Lance gave Keith his full attention. “You’ve never stargazed before?”

Keith gave a roll of his shoulders. “I know the constellations and their coordinates, but… but this isn’t even the same system let alone galaxy and—”

“No, no,” Lance waved a hand at him. “That’s not stargazing. That’s… that’s map reading. Stargazing is…”

He looked back up.

“It’s something my family does. We all go out together and make pictures and shapes using the stars and the clouds and we tell stories and sometimes Mamá makes hot chocolate and…” The stars blurred and Lance didn’t blink the tears away this time.

It was all right. 

“And it’s just… a lot of fun. And we’re all together and…”

“It sounds really nice,” and Keith didn’t sound condescending or sarcastic at all.

He sounded wistful.

“Well,” Lance nodded his chin at the sky. “What do you see?”

Keith fully looked up and Lance did the same.

The silence felt full.

Peaceful.

Lance’s lips quirked up after a few minutes and he raised a hand. “There,” he pointed. “See that one?”

“You’ll have to be a bit more specific,” Keith carefully teased and Lance met his grin. 

“Follow my finger,” Lance pointed again. “See that sort of big star with the little one almost touching it?” Keith didn’t tell him no so Lance continued. “Okay, so if you go up on a diagonal to that other big star and then back down and sort of follow the stars here,” Lance traced the pattern in the air, “and then connect it all back up…”

Keith did not comment on his brilliant design and turning towards him revealed a furrowed brow of confusion.

“Keith,” Lance groused although without any actual heat, “it’s an elephant! See it?”

Keith’s eyes squinted.

“...maybe?”

That would be a no.

“Well, what did you come up with?” he asked.

“Um… well, those three stars there,” Keith tried to point out the set he was referring to, “they… they look like a stick.”

Lance stared at him.

Keith looked unblinkingly back.

“Keith, that… that…”

Keith’s lips twitched.

Lance grinned, shaking his head and feeling something warm pool in his chest. “You suck at this.”

“At least mine looks like something,” Keith retorted.

“It is an elephant! How can you not see it?”

“Maybe because it doesn’t look like an elephant?”

“Maybe you don’t know what an elephant looks like?”

“I think you’re the one that doesn’t know.”

“Says the person who made a stick.”

“And it’s a perfectly good stick.”

Their eyes met.

And they both burst into laughter.

It was the first time Lance could remember laughing _with_ Keith, arguing with him for fun and knowing Keith knew too he was just joking.

It was like…

It was just like home.

With Marco and Rachel purposefully pretending they couldn’t see any of Lance’s designs, of Luis honestly trying but admitting defeat, and Veronica somehow always picking out exactly what Lance had seen. 

It was nice.

This was nice. 

This was…

This was what he had needed.

And 

And coming to the beach hadn’t been a mistake.

“ _Gracias,_ Keith,” Lance whispered as their laughter quieted, as something still light but more solemn filled the air. He met Keith’s gaze. “Thank you. For, for this.”

For reminding him that memories of home didn’t have to be painful.

That they could make him happy too.

And this, this _bonding moment,_ was a memory Lance would look back on fondly, would bring him the same warm joy of home. 

He got to his feet, brushing sand off the seat of his pajama bottoms.

And then he turned and held out a hand.

“We should get back, huh?” Lance’s lips quirked up. “Someone’s in need of their beauty sleep.”

Keith let out a rough laugh and clasped Lance’s hand in his own, allowing Lance to pull him up.

“Guess you’d better fall asleep quick then.”

“Hey!” Lance gave him a gentle shove with his shoulder that Keith returned in equal measure. 

And before Keith could pull away Lance reached over and pulled him into a tight hug. 

Keith immediately tensed and Lance went to step back, realizing maybe that had been too much, when Keith slowly, gingerly raised his arms and gave him a small squeeze back.

“Thank you,” Lance whispered, giving him one last squeeze. 

And while the hug was different than he was used to, the ocean and the sky and the stars and the beach too…

They were also familiar.

And they were perfect. 

**Author's Note:**

> Commission fic for Mireille (3-3.5k). A true burnt marshmallow fic-- angsty on the outside, fluffy on the inside ♥ It's also my **100th VLD** fic posted on AO3. Yay? (edit: and hey, maybe my last one here too. :))
> 
> If you enjoyed the fic, please leave a comment below detailing what you liked about it (and the small details make my day!). Fanfiction is meant to be engaged with. _**Please, please, please**_ don’t just be a page click or a kudo or a bookmark. Instead be an engaged, appreciative reader and leave a comment to show said appreciation and give the author a little love for sharing their work. Thank you so much to those who do. I truly appreciate your support ♥
> 
> 💥 **(Like my works? Want to read even MORE? Visit my[Tumblr, icypantherwrites](https://icypantherwrites.tumblr.com) for details.)💥**  
> 


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